Today in a session with a client, as we were talking about goals and reflecting on her freshman year of high school, it dawned on both of us that 2015 is flying by and that we are almost a full month into Spring…what?! I mean, with the weather in Orange County feeling like Summer lately, you’d never know any time has passed since August, 2014.
However, for the rest of the country, Spring is a real season (as is “Winter”…whatever that is). And a change in season means many, many things. Among them: change in weather, change in wardrobe, fluctuating electricity bills, allergies (if you’re like me), etc. But for me, one of my favorite seasonal changes is the change in the wine sitting on my little 8-bottle wine rack and/or in my fridge (don’t tell any wine snobs you might know that I refrigerate some of my bottles…they’d never let me post about wine again!).
Anywho, I like to mark the [non]seasonal changes we get by changing up my wine selections. Gone are the days of “Winter” with the big cabs and think, tanniny reds. These days, I’m uncorking some more middle of the road wines: not too big, not too light….the goldielox of wines, you could say…
1. Cakebread Sauvignon Blanc
A truly good Sauv Blanc is hard to come by. I’m not into the uber sweet, often times grassy taste that comes with this varietal. Much unlike Shannon, I’m an oaky, buttery Chardonnay lover (I understand if you stop reading now), so those sweet, too-crisp sauv blancs don’t do it for me. This one is balanced, dry, and has just the right amount of crispness.
2. Chardonnay: Columbia Crest Grand Estate
Get a load of this: a good chardonnay, highly rated in one of the more rigid Wine critic magazines for under $7. WHAT?! I promise, even if you don’t like chardonnays, you will like this wine. It’s light, has fruit, and is super refreshing. However, it has more body than the sauv blanc above, and is perfect with some fish and/or chicken. And really, for $7, you can probably afford not to like it!
3. Pinot Noir: Santa Barbara Winery
To me, this pinot epitomizes light and fruity just perfectly. It’s a spring-time red and really one of the only reds I would order at a happy hour. It’s as refreshing as a quality white, with some delightful tastes of milk-chocolate covered strawberries on the palette….are you drooling yet??
4. Malbec: Catena
The Malbec varietal is kind of like the “jack of all trades” of wines: it works for all seasons, but I especially like it for Spring, when the nights tend to have a bit of a chill, but it’s not necessarily cold. The fruit is big, and it’s softer and less heavy than a Cabernet Sauvignon. You also won’t get the same bitter taste in the back of your mouth (caused by tannins, that are generally found in bigger, bolder wines). If you like Pinot Noir, you’ll like this guy.
Do you have any wines you like to uncork at this time of year? I’d LOVE to hear! Cheers!
